Sindh PA adopts resolution: Federal govt urged to help secure release of Dr Aafia

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday voted on a resolution urging the federal government to secure the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, the “daughter of Sindh,” from the US detention running into a second decade.

On the private members day, Muhammad Farooq of Jamaat-e-Islami introduced the resolution for the release of Dr Aafia from the US prison, which saw a unanimous support from the assembly.

Farooq emphasized that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui has been held in a US prison for 21 years, after allegedly being made to disappear. “Today, our nation’s daughter remains in the custody of foreign powers,” he said, calling for her repatriation in accordance with legal protocols.

In the absence of Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Syed Sardar Shah, the provincial Education Minister happened to represent his government in the house, saying that a federal committee is already looking into Dr Aafia case.

He said that efforts are underway in this regard and clarified that the Sindh government has no objections to the resolution to pass.

The house also adopted a resolution unanimously, which MQM’s lady lawmaker, Bilqees Mukhtar had tabled, calling for the initiation of an official tree-planting campaign in Sindh.

A tree-planting campaign will help control environmental changes and reduce air pollution, she told the house. In reply, the minister supported the move.

Another resolution received a unanimous vote from the lawmakers to pay tribute to Sindh’s renowned researcher and author, Gul Hassan Kalmati.

PPP’s Heer Ismail Soho presented the resolution seeking the government’s approval to name a road or an official building after Kalmati for his contribution by authoring several books on the history, civilization, and culture of Karachi.

MQM member Fauzia Hameed, in her resolution, proposed that the national anthem should be recited at the beginning of every Sindh Assembly session, which was also unanimously approved.

Earlier, Sindh Irrigation Minister, Jam Khan Shoro warned Asia’s largest lake, Manchar, has been devastated due to the lack of water, suggesting an alternative supply source for Karachi.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024